DEAL OR NO DEAL: An Urban Food Street Facebook post claims the mayor has reneged on an agreement for a second meeting to discuss permits, insurance and overall management of the verge gardens.John McCutcheon

Urban Food Street: Where's our meeting, mayor?

PROPONENTS of Buderim's Urban Food Street claim the Sunshine Coast's mayor has reneged on an agreed second meeting to discuss a proposed management system for verge gardens.

But a Sunshine Coast Council spokesman says the mayor simply has an "existing commitment" and a second meeting involving councillors and senior staff has been offered.

UFS representative met with mayor Mark Jamieson on January 24 to discuss a letter sent to residents in the UFS area advising they needed to obtain permits and insurance for their roadside plantings.

A post on the UFS Facebook page described the meeting as "tokenistic" and has accused the mayor of not being interested in resolving the matter "with respect, fairness and equity".

The Facebook post said the mayor left the first meeting early and UFS has been denied a second meeting with him before an extended response time for residents expires this Friday.

"On excusing himself the Mayor Mark Jamieson suggested, and we agreed, to an additional meeting to progress the discussion further," the post said.

The UFS post said the offer of an additional meeting could not be disputed by the council administration.

"One really does have to question the agenda of this council. Is this really an acceptable way for the mayor of this region, the constituent-elected councillors and associated council staff to treat the people of the Sunshine Coast and those who have been singled out in the UFS neighbourhood?"

The post went on to say that UFS had offered to show the mayor, councillors and administrative staff around the neighbourhood.

"The council are not interested in walking and talking Urban Food Street even though this action could offer some very tangible solutions," it said

UFS has also questioned why only UFS residents have been targeted for permits and insurance by the council when verge plantings occur across the Sunshine Coast.

"A recent doorknock around the streets of Buderim has cemented that the vast majority of vegetation grows without permits and the vast majority have not been approached by the council to apply for permits at all let alone in the way that some people - mostly fruit and vegetable growers in the Urban Food Street neighbourhood were late last year," it says.

"In fact we didn't find one verge outside the UFS neighbourhood in Buderim that was sent the letter at the same time that this neighbourhood was (and many of the verges we knocked were far more vegetated than those around the UFS hood)."

In response to questions from the Sunshine Coast Daily, a council spokesman replied:

"Council is supportive of and continues to work with residents who have vegetable gardens on verges in this area as part of the Urban Food Street concept.

"Our aim is to ensure that the verge garden activities can continue with the proper approvals in place and that participants are covered should any liability issues arise.

"It's not, and never was, our intention to stop the project, but the same laws apply to everyone and we need to ensure that all residents of the Sunshine Coast are treated fairly and equally.

"Some of the residents in the area who have planted gardens on verges have already applied for the free permit.

"They have seen the need to comply with the arrangements that exist with all other landowners on the Sunshine Coast.

"The mayor has not refused a second meeting with UFS representatives. However, he was unable to meet this week due to existing commitments.

"UFS was offered the alternative meeting with the council, CEO, relevant councillors and other staff in order to progress this matter while the mayor was unavailable.

"The mayor met with UFS representative for 45 minutes at an allotted 30-minute meeting last month and believed a solution was close to agreement.

"The meeting continued with a senior officer for another 90 minutes.

"Our officers continue to work with UFS and one extension to the permit deadline has already been activated.

"Residents who want to continue their participation in the UFS project utilising the verge, or want to become involved and create a garden on their verge, can simply complete the free permit application form and return it to community response@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

"Council officers will then help them through the approval process.

"Our officers are available to help and can be contacted on 5475 7272."

UFS proponents Duncan McNaught and Caroline Kemp have not responded to a request for comment on the issue.